Dog Gone...and Found

Know what? There's a reason I wasn't out partying last night and a reason I was laying low with my phone set to ring loud as it charged.

I got a frantic call at 11:15pm.

My mom: "Tina's gone."

At first I thought she meant their 5 year old rescued greyhound had dropped dead. But no. Tina left through an open gate about ten minutes earlier. OH NO.

When they adopted her in the summer of 2006, they were warned that these dogs can be in the next county before you even know they're gone. They are really fast. Hey, there's a reason they're greyhounds.

I started doing the steps that are outlined by rescue organization Greyhound Adoption of Ohio, where Tina came from. First I called greyhound maven Linda (a personal hero of mine, she has placed well over 1400 dogs!). She would put out an email, and if she wasn't found by morning, there are people in her network all over the area who will actually go out searching when a greyhound gets lost.

I jumped in the car and sped over to my parents' in about 15 minutes. My dad came home from bowling, my mom drove down to the Metroparks where they always walk, and I took off on foot.

My mom saw just how many deer are out at night in the park - which is unfortunate, because their dog looks exactly like a deer without antlers.

I was three minutes away from their house as I was searching the block when I got the call - Tina was home. I got back and my aunt and uncle had pulled up (they got out of bed to help in the search) and my brother even showed up from Lakewood (turns out HE had left the gate open earier that day).

Tina was found on a neighbor's porch 5 houses down and across the street. The neighbor was leaving to go out for some late night Christmas shopping. Funny that the dog picked the house with the prettiest Christmas lights on the street.

The lady walked her home and all was well. What luck.

But it was really scary and could have turned out much, much worse.

Thank goodness it didn't.